How To: Use Science To Win At Rock-Paper-Scissors Every Time

The classic tiebreaker just got a lot easier to game.

There's only one way to settle disputes over trash take-out and last-pizza-slice dibs: good ol' Rock-Paper-Scissors. We've depended on it for fair, unbiased, and even-handed justice since childhood, but a recent study suggests there may be a way to gain an upper hand in this game. Scientists at Zhejiang University in China have found that there are actually established patterns players subconsciously follow. Learn the patterns and you might never have to take out the trash again.

People start by picking each variable (rock, paper, or scissors) about one-third of the time. You can’t really game this stage, BUT after the first round:
— If a player wins, he will usually stick with the same play.
— If a player loses, he will usually switch actions in “a clockwise direction.” So, rock changes to paper, paper to scissors, scissors to rock.

What this means, as deduced by WaPo bloggers, is that this is how a round would typically go down: